The full scope of the Stigmata Project was finally laid bare before Mei—and also, before countless players.
That colossal, blue, illusion-like creature that had appeared in the previous chapter floated high above, unfurling countless tentacles from the sky. Within the illusory dimensions, its tendrils extended to hover above each person's head. Inside its immense body were housed the dreams of countless ordinary people.
Until… the real world lost all meaning to them. The eternal dreamscape became their only reality.
Ordinary people, connected to the dreamscape, were transformed into nutrients for the Stigmata, waiting for the arrival of a new world.
In a world governed only by Honkai, the concept of Honkai tests would naturally cease to exist.
This was the final solution devised by the Previous Era civilization, designed by none other than Mobius, the most senior member of Fire Moth.
.....
In a flashback scene from 50,000 years ago, part of the dialogue and images revealed that this plan had gone through fifteen complete revisions before the final draft was selected… injecting a small glimmer of dark humor into what was originally a blood-soaked blueprint.
The Stigmata Project could indeed ensure the survival of civilization—but the real question was: Would it still be a civilization that belonged to humanity?
---
[Chat Comments]
[A dreamscape… dying within a dream... Isn't that just self-deception?]
[Fifteen versions! A full fifteen! Do you have any idea what our poor snake lady went through?]
[This is basically mythology now… an angel? The imagery feels abstract and tentacle-y]
---
In the Golden Courtyard
Mobius did not look happy. Her expression darkened as she said, with irritation in her voice:
"Tch… You still want to bring up the fifteen versions of the plan? Again?"
She was practically oozing frustration. Clutching a plush Elysia doll tightly in her arms, she gave off the clear aura of "strangers, do not approach."
Unfortunately, there wasn't anyone around for her to properly vent her frustration on—Dr Mei wasn't here, and Kevin wouldn't bother arguing with her about this anymore.
He simply watched Dr Mei's appearance on the screen, his eyes reflecting a distant memory.
As for the Elysia dolls around Mobius—of course, they were actual merchandise imported directly from Elysia's company. The entire hall was full of them. They were so numerous that even the real fairy-like Elysia was getting slightly jealous—there were simply too many mini versions of herself!
"Seems like our dear Dr. Mobius left quite the impression on people."
Vill-V sat on a couch, spinning her magician's hat on her fingertip, teasing Mobius, who was clinging to her doll. Today, the eccentric inventor seemed a bit bored.
She hadn't arrived in time to deal with the Herrscher of Corruption. Sure, it was a good thing that it had been resolved smoothly, but… didn't that also mean her hard work wasn't even needed? That just made her look useless.
Well, the Herrscher of Corruption didn't really require much planning anyway. It was mostly a matter of executing some inventions—preservation work, really.
"What's this? You're older than me, and yet you had fewer responsibilities? Late-stage Fire Moth definitely dumped more demands on you than me."
Mobius retorted sarcastically.
"Sigh—who says that isn't true? In any case, it wasn't a particularly fond set of memories." Vill-V sighed in agreement.
After all, convincing the higher-ups for research funding got harder and harder later on. Dr Mei might have been a competent superior, but she was not someone you could easily fool.
And besides… the state of humanity back then had already become unsalvageable, which was another key reason for their failure.
"You two seem to be in rare agreement about MEI" Elysia said, swaying a single finger playfully. Her curious eyes darted between them.
"But badmouthing people behind their backs isn't really a good habit, is it?"
Who would've thought that these two scientific geniuses had shared such tragic experiences?
"I'm curious, Mobius—what exactly did your fifteenth version of the plan end up looking like?"
"Just like it said in the story," Mobius replied coldly.
"No one accepted the later suggestions anyway. The final version stuck with the original structure. Kevin simply chose a version that looked a little more 'mild.'
Killing people in their dreams—how is that any different from killing them in reality? Is there really a fundamental distinction?"
She sneered. Clearly, she didn't think there was.
----
Inside the Game-
Waking up from darkness, Theresa slowly opened her eyes and saw light again—only to find herself in a lecture hall built like an amphitheater.
Familiar wooden desks. Sunlight breaking through a dusty window.
A blackboard and podium that felt strangely distant.
And in front of it—Professor Himeko, her red hair glowing, smiling warmly.
That scene made an overwhelming sense of unease rise in Theresa's heart, even though… this should've been exactly what her memories looked like.
"Huh?"
She rubbed her eyes, staring at Himeko, and suddenly felt a surge of emotion in her chest.
How strange. She was the head of the academy—why did being a student in class feel so... foreign?
Talking with Himeko brought her back to a time long gone—
Warm morning sunlight, casual banter, mischievous teasing… and Himeko's unrelenting love for wine.
It all made her unconsciously smile.
That warmth flowed gently through her heart.
And yet—her doubt only grew stronger.
She wondered why she was suddenly piloting a spaceship through the stars, reliving memories through a simulation.
That shimmering and indescribably elegant cosmos appeared just like it did in her memories. Theresa's sense of doubt grew stronger, yet the realism of what she saw gradually dissolved her unease.
The young red-haired professor placed a thick stack of A4 papers in front of the headmistress—some kind of proposal for a fun sports festival, awaiting her approval.
A spinning top that had been twirling freely on the desk was bumped by the stack of papers, rolling off and skimming the floor like a gliding textbook. Theresa instinctively reached out to pick it up, but just before her fingers touched the top, everything in front of her—like snowflakes—dissolved.
Even though her eyes were open, there was now nothing before her.
The professor, the desk, the blackboard, the spinning top... all vanished.
"You just broke through one layer of your subconscious."
A calm, steady voice laced with a bit of sarcasm responded.
Theresa recognized the voice instantly. She quickly turned toward it.
A blond figure stood before her, dressed in white—the ceremonial robes of a Schicksal overseer. His blue-green eyes sparkled with amusement, expressionless yet clearly watching her.
"Grandfather?! Why are you—?"
She couldn't help but cry out in surprise.
But in that moment of clarity, she immediately realized this was still part of the dream.
Still... why would she dream about her grandfather?
------
Meanwhile, on Cecilia's side, a group of familiar faces were enjoying a quiet afternoon together.
Once the young girls matured, these memories would surely become treasured moments—especially moments spent with people they hadn't seen in a long time, like now.
"Ahaha, Theresa, you've got a grandfather too? Who is he?"
Shigure Kira asked with a laugh, clearly out of the loop.
She felt like the world had changed quite a bit after she left it behind. There were new developments, yet strangely, they seemed to affect things that happened before her time.
Theresa suddenly had a grandfather, Cecilia had a twin sister... and Sirin...
Well, after learning everything that had happened, Kira didn't even know how to face Sirin anymore.
"Otto Apocalypse. He lived during the same era as Grandma. Grandma once mentioned him. In this world, all records of his existence have been erased..."
Theresa stirred her milk tea and the snacks Cecilia had brought, speaking in a low, somewhat gloomy tone.
It was hard to tell if she was troubled by her grandfather's presence or just disappointed by the taste of the bitter melon dessert in front of her—not exactly her favorite.
The so-called "magic of love"... she hadn't experienced it, not even once.
–Sigh
Still, if Otto really were to appear in the real world, she had no idea how she would face him.
"Erased from the world... He must have been pretty powerful," Kira mused.
"Otherwise, he wouldn't have been the Overseer of Schicksal in the game."
She wasn't familiar with Otto, but seeing how Theresa and Cecilia looked so conflicted at the mere mention of him sparked her curiosity.
"He's a key intellectual figure. In the game's storyline, most of the main cast's pasts are directly or indirectly tied to him," Cecilia added.
Her comment was measured and objective—fitting for someone aware that their entire world might have been shaped or extended by this man's designs.
Even calling him merely "intellectual" seemed like an understatement.
---
Back in the game–
After defeating several enemies, Theresa still couldn't find the way out of the dreamscape.
"So... how do I get out of here?"
She looked around curiously, directing her question to the image of her grandfather.
In that instant, it felt like she had returned to her childhood, a time when any question could be answered by her grandpa. She blinked, looking up at him with a hopeful expression.
But Otto only gave a wry smile, tinged with indulgence.
"Naturally, this is your dream... If it has flaws, then those flaws must come from your own weaknesses."
"So far, the enemies I've faced have been Parvati and A-series clones... I think I know who's coming next."
Theresa rubbed her chin thoughtfully. With one hand, she lifted her Judas weapon and walked toward a specific area below the cathedral—the Doctrine Sector—where in reality, a certain Herrscher had once awakened.
If this dreamscape needed a breakthrough point, that was the only place she could think of.
Come to think of it, the first time she took over this academy, her reaction was:
"Whoa... is this some 500-year-old aristocratic school?
Why does it look like the Viennese royal palace?!"
Otto simply followed silently at her side.
But the moment they stepped across the Doctrine Sector, the familiar scenery vanished.
In its place was the Tree of Imaginary Numbers, a space she didn't recognize—a time and place unfamiliar to her.
....
Meanwhile, somewhere else in the game.
Under the starry sky,
Kevin stood in silence beneath a sky as dark and boundless as it had been fifty thousand years ago, stepping into a vast, glowing white pavilion.
The mysterious cosmos had always carried humanity's dreams and fantasies.
Once, a certain woman had dared to make a bold proclamation:
"Every star in the sky is an enemy of humanity."
The starry skies embodied mankind's wild ambitions—yet also the uncrossable gulf between them and truth.
He was someone who gazed up at the stars.
But sadly, he was not the one she had meant.
He stepped forward as though entering another world.
Everything was bathed in white light.
The space around him seemed painted over with a pale, ashen hue.
"I've arrived."
As he entered the space, a purple light appeared before him, drawing together a swirling nebula.
There was no visible form—only a tapestry of blue, star-like threads, illusory lines weaving through the void and draping over the sea of stars.
In a voice as calm and cold as ice, he began to speak.
He was already standing there.
"You've worked hard. To maintain your own self within countless iterations of simulated consciousness—even for you, that could not have been easy."
The nebula seemed to respond—but in a voice too faint to understand.
"No matter. Your only role in the plan was to appear at this moment. Even if you've been hibernating this whole time, you haven't failed your mission."
Again, the nebula answered silently.
"They'll have their chance to prove themselves.
But at the same time—they must also understand what, exactly, they are challenging."
"Yes. I will follow the plan to the letter—Carrying the power weight of shared Finality upon my back, moment by moment… As I walk the final road fate has laid out for us."
"Fifty thousand years of waiting are over.
You've done well… Number 17."
"Now—rest. Sleep in peace."
As the man's steady voice faded, the shadowy figure behind the long, dark curtain of history began to surface.
The Honkai had reached a critical turning point—
All hidden truths were beginning to emerge.
But before that…
He still had one more task: To eliminate the single threat—the unexpected intruder—who had entered this realm.
---
Back at Cecilia's villa.
"Number Seventeen…"
The delicate girl, Prometheus, fell into thought upon hearing the name.
For the first time, there was hesitation in her eyes. She had once borne that name—though in a different branch of reality.
And yet, this name overlapping so perfectly...
"Number Seventeen? That sounds like a robot name."
Shigure Kira blinked, surprised.
Most of what she knew about the game came secondhand—she had never taken the time to dig deep herself.
Even so, she'd never seen anyone on the internet discuss a "Number Seventeen."
"Hmm…"
Misteln brushed her fingers along her lips, a faint smirk forming.
"Is that your code name, Prometheus?"
"You know that?" Prometheus floated calmly in midair, voice completely devoid of emotion.
"I don't recall ever mentioning it before."
"Well, I'm still technically a World Serpent officer," Misteln replied with a mischievous grin.
"Besides, your expression just now totally gave it away."
With her white hair and Cecilia-like face, it was nearly impossible to tell her apart from her "sister" when they were together. She giggled lightly.
"So... that cold guy we just saw—what was he actually talking about?" Kira asked.
"Unfortunately," Prometheus answered as flatly as ever, "my data archive offers no explanation. I don't know."
Her voice slowed slightly, as though she genuinely regretted the lack of an answer.
"The Sovereign is still the Sovereign. I'm not privy to the full plan, either,"
Misteln shrugged and grinned slyly.
Shigure Kira, now deadpan, looked between the two of them.
They were so helpful during casual chats, but when it came to actual plot progression—they turned into cryptic riddle-speakers, passing mysteries down like family heirlooms.
"Based on the scene just now, and what Luo Mo said," Cecilia chimed in, frowning thoughtfully,
"Prometheus seems to appear near the endgame. The storylines of the previous and current civilizations' Herrschers are aligning without any inconsistencies.
So... it seems she must be connected to whatever that man was doing."
Cecilia frowned and tried her best to analyze the situation for her new friend using her own understanding. She was great at fighting bosses, but analyzing a story scenario... wasn't that Theresa's job? After all, Theresa was the future Overseer of Schicksal.
Even though Theresa was still sulking beside her, her fingers were rapidly tapping on her phone screen. She hadn't seen Theresa chatting so cheerfully with anyone through messages before. She looked completely immersed, paying no attention to her surroundings. Cecilia was quite curious—had Theresa finally welcomed her own springtime (romantic moment)?
Was this the magic of love?
----
MiHoyo Company–voice acting room.
The girls were still chatting noisily.
"Waiting for 50,000 years, carrying the power of 'Finality... Is this another leftover contingency plan from the Previous Era?"
Kiana muttered while holding her aching head. She felt like traces of the Previous Era were everywhere, scattered all over the place.
That artificial intelligence No. 17, which whispered softly in the peace of the unknown—did she also carry such an important mission?
"Carrying the power of 'Finality', Herrscher... Power... Is the final Herrscher Kevin?" Mei spoke thoughtfully.
"Bronya remembers the boss once said, the three of us—our Stigmata correspond to Finality, Origin, and Truth. Ah, Kiana..."
"Eh?! What?"
"You might have to fight your ancestor."
Bronya, ever concise, dropped a bombshell with just a few words.
Kiana instinctively stepped back.
"Ah, well... If Finality is like the previous Herrschers, someone will have to stop them, right?" she muttered.
"Isn't that right, Boss—"
But Luo Mo ignored the question entirely.